Convenience store shoppers and local good causes are benefitting from discounted food and surplus product.
It's part of a local co-operative programme to keep as many products as possible in the human food chain.
Southern Co-op, which has eight retail stores across the Isle of Wight, is currently rolling out the new food pathway — starting with products with use-by dates, before targeting food past its best before date.
The first stage on the Island launched on Monday with Too Good To Go Magic Bags.
Too Good To Go is the world's largest surplus food app that lets users rescue surprise ‘Magic Bags' of delicious, unsold food from shops and restaurants so it doesn't go to waste.
Via the free-to-download app, customers can buy surplus food and drink products from local Southern Co-op sites which are near to their expiry date.
The second stage will see the rollout of other initiatives designed to save food that has gone past its best before date - either by reducing it to 20p or donating it to local good causes.
All store waste is currently diverted from landfill and any unsold food sent off for anaerobic digestion, with food broken down to produce biogas and bio-fertiliser.
As part of the Too Good To Go trial, Magic Bags of food will be available to rescue for just a third of the cost at £3.29 - with an original value of £10 or more.
Originally trialled at 12 stores since 31 January and a further 26 from 19 April, so far more than 7,000 Magic Bags have been saved by customers.
Simon Eastwood, Southern Co-op's Chief Operating Officer for Retail, said: "The initiatives relating to best before dates will be rolled out over the summer and will see every store either donating food and drink to local good causes or having products reduced to 20p.
"As we are mainly convenience stores, it hasn't been beneficial for charities to collect food from our stores in the past as the amount and type of food at the end of the day is often unreliable.
"On some days it could be a few bread products but on other days it could be a range of fruit, veg or pasta.
"However, thanks to our partner Neighbourly, charities and local community groups can now find out what products our stores can donate before they leave their base."
The stores on the Isle of Wight which will be rolling out these new initiatives are:
Bembridge's Sherbourne Street; Carisbrooke's High Street; Cowes's Mill Hill Road; Freshwater's Avenue Road; Rookley's Main Road; Ryde's West Street; Sandown's Avenue Road and Shanklin's Regent Street.
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